# CONJUGATIVE TRANSPOSON TN916

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 1989 · $218,746

## Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the molecular basis of
transposition and fertility of the conjugative transposon Tn916 from
Enterococcus faecalis. Tn916 encodes resistance to tetracycline and is
the prototype of a large family of nonplasmid elements believed to be a
major factor in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in Gram
positive bacteria. The proposed structural and genetic studies should
reveal details of a transposition process believed to be significantly
different from that of most other known systems; and the hypothesis that
movement of Tn9]6 is an excision/insertion event involving a circular
intermediate will be examined.

More specifically we plan to: 1) Sequence junction regions of a number
of Tn916 inserts and determine the extent to which the degree of
homology between the two regions relates to the rate of transposition;
2) determine if new DNA at junction regions is brought in by the
transposon during insertion; 3) attempt to isolate a circular
transposition intermediate in Escherichia coli and determine the
nucleotide sequence where the ends are joined; 4) determine the complete
nucleotide sequence of Tn9l6; 5) develop an efficient Tn9l6
transposition system (assay) in E. coli that can be uscd for a variety
of genctic studies in this host; 6) gonetically analyze the
transposition of Tn9]6 in E. coli with emphasis on characterizing
controlling aspects of the excision phenomenon; 7) analyze
,Tn9l6-cncoded proteins and RNA; 8) examine the effcct of various host
determinants on the excision/transposition of Tn9l6 in E. coll; 9)
determinc the degrce, if any, to whicb a rcsident Tn9]6 derivative
confers immunity to another transposon (i.e. a distinguishable
derivative of Tn9l6) coming into the enterococcal host.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3124695
- **Project number:** 2R01AI010318-18
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **SAM.gov UEI:** GNJ7BBP73WE9
- **Principal Investigator:** DON B CLEWELL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $218,746
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1978-09-29 → 1994-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3124695

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3124695, CONJUGATIVE TRANSPOSON TN916 (2R01AI010318-18). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3124695. Licensed CC0.

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